This session will bring together Pacific- and Australian-based journalists and editors to discuss the state of media in the Pacific and ask the question—what makes a good Pacific story? Australian-based journalists will address the challenge of securing support for Pacific stories from their bosses and the related problem of building greater knowledge of the Pacific among the Australian public. Pacific-based journalists will discuss the challenges posed by in country reporting, from censorship to the global shift away from traditional media to digital content. What opportunities do these changes open up for the Pacific to be reported on its own terms? The session will also explore how the media is increasingly seen as a component of soft power and public diplomacy, and whether such government-backed efforts are likely to be effective.

Chair: Graeme Smith, Fellow, Department of Pacific Affairs, ANU

Panellists: Stefan Armbruster, Brisbane-based correspondent, SBS World News

Jo Chandler, Melbourne-based journalist and writer, and Editor, Centre for Advancing Journalism, University of Melbourne

Dan Flitton, Managing Editor, The Interpreter, Lowy Institute

Jemima Garrett, Sydney-based freelance journalist

Elvina Ogil, Host, Who Asked Her, Papua New Guinea’s First Feminist Podcast

Dan McGarry, Media Director, Vanuatu Daily Post